1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits; more specifically, it relates to a system and method for designing an integrated circuit having multiple voltage domains.
2. Background of the Invention
As integrated circuits have increased in complexity, voltages on power distribution networks have been reduced in order to reduce power consumption. However, these voltage reductions can have an adverse impact on the AC performance and noise immunity of integrated circuits. The use of voltage partitioning of an integrated circuit (IC) chip into voltage domains or islands allows some portions of an IC to operate at higher voltages for improved AC performance and noise immunity and other portions of the same IC to operate at a lower voltage for reduced power consumption.
However, even with modern design systems, designing such integrated circuits is a very labor-intensive process. Therefore, there is a need for an automated design system for designing an IC having multiple voltage domains.